Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with devices for protection against Electrostatic Discharge.
Heretofore in this field semiconductor devices have been known to be susceptible to the Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) phenomenon. The best known ESD events are those generated between the human body and ground. Electrostatic potentials of 4 kV are not uncommon. Typically, the discharge occurs within a few tens of nanoseconds and generates peak currents in the tens of amperes. This surge of high-voltage, high-current electricity represents a major threat to electronic components. Past solutions to the protection of semiconductor devices from ESD have typically relied on Si clamping diodes, Zener diodes, and Silicon-controlled rectifiers, or thyristors.